Known for immortalising the character of Dadi in a chat show on TV, Ali Asgar is garnering appreciation for his recent outing, City of Dreams. Ali, who is mostly associated with the comedy genre is turning his attention to serious roles. He wants to take up varied roles.
“As an actor, I'm hungry and greedy. Just like we want to relish different dishes, in the same manner, I want to perform various characters in different genres. I don't wish to repeat roles I have already done. I can wait for some time. God has been kind,” the actor shares.
For the longest time, Ali was synonymous with the character of Dadi. Does he regret being typecast as the character? “There’s a new generation today. People have forgotten my shows like ‘Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki’ and others. Let my upcoming shows be telecast, then everyone will surely get an idea that this guy can do varied roles,” Ali says.
Ali, to put it in his words, just wishes to “break my comedy image”. “It's not that I don't wish to do comedy roles. I don't want that typical character. Unless the roles that I have done are not reinvented then I will not enjoy doing the same thing. Also, I feel that the Dadi character has been done to death. There doesn't seem to have anything more to be explored on that front,” the actor adds.
The actor is currently taking a small break and he has no qualms about being away from the limelight for a while. “I heard a story about Mehboob saab when he quit everything and went to his farmhouse. Initially, he felt relaxed that he doesn't have to go to work. He enjoyed nature at his farmhouse. One day he called for his make-up kit and would put it on and go around gallivanting and talking to his horses. He would remove his make-up after going home. By doing so he didn't miss his work. The set routine forces you to keep yourself busy. I will work until my last breath. This is just a few days of break I'm enjoying,” Ali explains.
Though Ali was missing from the promotions of City of Dreams, the actor calls his role ‘appealing’. “Yes, I wasn't there during the promotions. Also, it was a small yet appealing role. Our work needs to speak for us, that's important,” he avers.
On the work front, Ali has a few interesting projects. “There is ‘Patalpani’, an intriguing story set in the compartment of a train. It is a satirical take on an issue. PMP, another project, is based on coaching classes and deals with education. It depicts the happenings behind the coaching classes. I play an important character as the nephew of a coaching class owner. It is a serious character,” the actor says.
“After the telecast of my forthcoming shows I'm sure the outlook of my fans and audiences will change,” he signs off.